"Kill the enemy!"
"Feast on flesh!!!"
After shouting this, Chen Sanshi hurled the warhorse together with the charred corpse of the Profound Manifestation general down to the ground.
Starved for a long time, the Hongze Battalion soldiers, who had gone a full five months without even a trace of meat, actually surged forward as one and tore the warhorse apart to eat it.
Seeing this scene, the Central Plains troops were all shocked and horrified.
"They're eating people!"
"The Northern Liang army is eating people!"
In reality, with warhorse meat to eat, there was naturally no need to eat people.
But at this moment, in the eyes of the equally starving Central Plains soldiers, there was no difference.
It was only a matter of order.
Once the warhorses were eaten up, people would naturally be next.
Because…
They themselves had already done it!
Two hundred thousand troops!
There were indeed many people.
But right now—
Not a single one was willing to die first!
Why should they risk their lives to maintain the formation?!
They had been starving for several months.
The high-ranking lords above them.
Starting from lieutenant generals upward, all had fasting pills to distribute.
When there was food, it never reached them.
When it came time to risk their lives, they were the ones sent out.
No one was a fool.
At this moment, months of pent-up dissatisfaction and anxiety, mixed with the sight of the White Robe feasting on flesh and using them as provisions, all fused together and finally turned into a single overwhelming momentum.
The momentum of collapse!
At the edges of the army, the formation began to fall into chaos.
The Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortal Formation, which had barely been set up, collapsed at one corner and could no longer exert its power.
Then, like a plague, it spread rapidly.
"What are you doing?!"
On the flying vessel, Daoist Xuan, who was about to release the formation flags, formation discs, and massive amounts of spirit stones, began shouting angrily.
"Form up! I told you to form up!"
However, his words were like mud sinking into the sea.
They had no effect at all.
"Anyone who retreats another half-step will be executed!"
Cao Rong descended from the sky and slashed dozens of soldiers to death with a single strike.
But killing only made things worse.
With that strike, everything completely fell apart!
The soldiers were not only terrified of the Hongze Battalion pursuers behind them, who were like flesh-eating demons, but also had to avoid their own commanding officers to prevent being cut down by the supervisory troops.
Like ants on a hot pan, they ran about chaotically.
Countless people were trampled to death in the crush.
The entire Sparrow Mouse Valley fell into total chaos!
"Why?!"
Cao Rong looked at his own army's collapse, then at the nearly crazed Hongze Battalion soldiers in the distance.
Everyone was starving.
So why was the difference in willpower and combat strength so vast?!
"Brother Cao! Be careful!"
In the instant he lost focus.
From several hundred paces away, the White Robe had already drawn the golden bow and silver bullet.
The bow was pulled to a full moon.
The moment he released it, Four Symbols divine beasts wrapped in fire-element true force surged forth.
Four arrows fired at once!
At the very front was the Crimson-Flame White Tiger, blazing with overwhelming killing intent, opening the way.
Heavenly River Sword Technique!
Ling Yun flicked his sleeve, and surging rivers poured forth.
The seemingly harmless water forcibly extinguished the White Tiger's raging flames.
The two forces canceled each other out.
The Vermilion Bird followed close behind.
Li He struck to assist, using the "Blood Light Curse" to slay it with a single sword.
Daoist Xuan also did not stand by.
His hands formed seals at blinding speed, condensing a massive spell sphere before him that collided with the Black Tortoise behind the Vermilion Bird, sending out waves of shock.
Only at this moment did Cao Rong come back to his senses.
He raised the blunt-edged broad saber in his hand and cleaved the final fire dragon in two.
The White Robe…
Had grown stronger again!
They could clearly feel that Chen Sanshi's true force had become even more vast.
"He must have opened another Spirit Vista!"
Ling Yun gritted his teeth. "Not only is his talent terrifying, he probably also possesses a spiritual treasure like the Emperor's."
"We can't risk fighting him head-on here!"
Li He made a swift judgment. "Our realms aren't that far apart. If we fight to the death and all reveal our trump cards, it's not impossible to kill him. But we can choose a much safer approach!"
"That's right. Withdraw!"
Daoist Xuan said. "These troops are useless. We'll head to Qiantang Prefecture. The soldiers there haven't gone hungry and can definitely unleash the true power of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortal Formation!"
"A bunch of trash!"
The Prince of Zhen'nan cast one last glance at the collapsing army.
Without a hint of attachment, he leapt up and returned to the flying vessel.
The flying vessel was reinforced by formations.
Daoist Xuan and Li He poured their magic power into it together.
Its speed was so fast it nearly turned into a streak of light, vanishing at the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Only two hundred thousand troops were left on the ground, wailing.
"The Prince has left!"
"They've all left!"
The Central Plains army collapsed like a landslide, scattering like birds and beasts.
Within Sparrow Mouse Valley, Chen Sanshi pursued for two hundred li.
Leading the Hongze Battalion, he killed more than fifty thousand enemies and captured fifty thousand prisoners.
The remaining nearly one hundred thousand scattered and fled, their whereabouts unknown.
After trying to pursue Cao Rong and the others for half an hour, he gave up.
That flying vessel artifact was extremely fast.
With only his Qi Refining Layer five magic power, he simply couldn't catch up.
The speed of flying with artifacts was directly tied to cultivation strength.
Without capturing the enemy commander and using him to control the defeated army, such a massive number of routed troops could not be controlled with just six thousand men.
Even grain supplies alone would be an enormous problem.
One had to know—
Routed soldiers were worse than bandits!
Let alone—
So many routed soldiers who were starving!
If they had no food, they would rob.
Once they started robbing, it wouldn't just be robbery, but arson, murder, and plunder.
In the end, they would only flee into deep mountains and forests to become bandits.
So if they were allowed to flood into nearby prefectures, the harm they would cause would be even greater than a normal war.
"Zhao Wuji!"
Chen Sanshi gave the order. "You first lead three thousand brothers to escort fifty thousand prisoners to Jiangzhou one hundred li away. The border prefectures there have already been emptied of troops, and there's still surplus grain. Settle the prisoners there. You don't need to worry about the rest."
"The rest of you!"
"Follow me and keep pursuing!"
Sparrow Mouse Valley was a narrow mountain pass.
Most people could only move forward along this single road.
Chen Sanshi would absolutely not allow these one hundred thousand routed soldiers to go and wreak havoc elsewhere.
He led his troops forward.
Inside Sparrow Mouse Valley, he carried out a frenzied slaughter for two hundred li!
He again killed more than fifty thousand enemies.
Only after the remaining people were killed into complete submission did he capture them all and arrange their resettlement.
After leaving Sparrow Mouse Valley, many prefectural and county cities lay ahead.
The exhausted Hongze Battalion soldiers finally received supplies.
Along the way, they also gathered another one thousand warhorses.
Chen Sanshi left the rest behind to settle the prisoners.
He himself led one thousand men straight toward Qiantang Prefecture.
Back and forth, more than twenty days were delayed again.
While Qiantang Prefecture was enduring nonstop day-and-night assaults, Prince of Jin Cao Huan and the others were not idle either.
They mobilized fifty thousand troops and moved north to the border of Jade Land Prefecture, waiting for the right moment.
"Twelfth Brother."
Cao Huan personally led the army. "The court used a vicious scheme and produced a fake Chen Sanshi head. Qiantang Prefecture probably won't hold much longer. Should we try leading troops there to relieve them?"
"With just this many men, we'd only be going to die."
Cao Zhi rejected the idea. "Let's wait and see. If my calculations are right, Hongdu Prefecture has already been besieged for half a year under food shortages, and they've been out of contact with us for nearly a month."
"So you mean…"
Prince of Jin Cao Huan asked, "You think General Chen really might die?"
"Hard to say."
Cao Zhi lay on the grass with his hands behind his head. "His life is tough. He might not die. But when waging war, we have to prepare for everything. At the very least, we should wait for news from Hongdu Prefecture.
"If he really is dead,
"We still have troops. We can retreat first and delay things for a while. Maybe we can even wait for a great expert from the Guiyuan Sect to personally intervene.
"If he's still alive, then we head north and join forces with him. It won't be too late to think about breaking the enemy then.
"As long as we can take Qiantang Prefecture, Sixth Brother, you can announce to the outside world that Father Emperor has ascended to the Immortal Realm and no longer concerns himself with mortal affairs. Then, under the banner of rightful succession, you inherit the throne.
"Using the title of 'Legitimate Emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty,' we can quickly gain firm control over the entire eastern region and most of the Central Plains. After that, we can look for an opportunity to fight a decisive battle."
Inheriting the rightful line.
Prince of Jin Cao Huan felt somewhat dazed hearing this.
That position…
Had suddenly come so close?!
"Twelfth Brother, if this great undertaking truly succeeds, you will have the greatest merit!"
Prince of Jin Cao Huan looked toward the distant sky. "You're right. Father Emperor has spent these years cultivating the Dao and shaken the court to the brink. This can't continue. Once I ascend the throne, I will work diligently and restore the realm!
"Also,
"I will issue another decree, proclaiming to the world that after I pass away, the throne will be inherited by you, Twelfth Brother!"
There were precedents in previous dynasties where brothers succeeded one another.
"It's too early to think about that now."
Cao Zhi remained calm. "The urgent matter is figuring out how to deal with the trouble in the capital. If our estimate is correct, Father Emperor's injuries have mostly healed, and he's preparing to begin Foundation Establishment."
"At the end of the day,"
Prince of Jin Cao Huan muttered, "we still have to rely on General Chen! Our Great Sheng Dynasty truly cannot do without the White Robe."
"The main army can't go."
Cao Zhi said. "We don't have many cultivators with us either. At most, we can send two cultivators over to see if they can break through and tell them the head is fake. If the battle is truly lost, they can at least rescue a few useful people."
Qiantang Prefecture.
The siege grew even fiercer.
The Northern Liang army inside the city also suffered heavy losses.
The one hundred fifty thousand troops were shrinking day by day.
Now, only one hundred twenty thousand remained.
That wasn't even the biggest problem.
The key issue was that the court troops outside the city were spreading claims day and night that the White Robe was dead.
After an initial period of anger, morale inside the city was already showing signs of decline.
Another full day of bitter fighting ended.
The court troops sounded the gong and withdrew.
Soldiers went about their duties, carrying corpses down from the walls.
Everything inside the city felt lifeless.
It was as if the backbone had been removed.
Everyone felt lost, unsure where to go next or what they were even fighting for.
Inside the central command tent.
Xu Wencai hugged a wooden box.
Moved by the scene, his eyes grew wet.
"Sir,"
Qi Cheng said, "isn't that the new set of clothes the tailor from Laizhou sent you last time? Why won't you wear it? You even put a gold lock on it and carry it everywhere."
"Go on, what do you know!"
Xu Wencai scolded him first, then sighed. "This isn't for me. It's clothes I prepared for our lord!"
"So that's how it is."
Qi Cheng nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder you're so sad, sir."
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Even though Xu Wencai himself was uneasy, he would not allow anyone in the camp to say that the White Robe was truly dead.
"Boom boom boom—"
As they spoke.
The war drums sounded.
Inside the city.
Wang Jun's voice urging surrender rang out once again.
"People inside the city, listen up!"
"You're already at the end of the road!"
"I'll give you one last night!"
"If you don't open the gates and surrender by dawn, then when the city falls, not a single one of you will be spared!"
After leaving those words behind,
Wang Jun flew back to the central command tent.
"Heh heh."
Wu Jingsheng, deputy general of the three hundred thousand-strong army, sneered. "Old Mu Fengchun really came up with a brilliant plan. Now the city is in panic. They probably won't hold much longer!"
"How's Hongdu Prefecture?"
Wang Jun asked solemnly. "Is Chen Sanshi dead or not?"
"Still unclear."
Wu Jingsheng shook his head. "Based on the last report, they should've started retreating. Once the two hundred thousand troops merge with us, the people in the city will have no more doubts. They'll definitely open the gates and surrender within ten days!"
"Let it end quickly."
Wang Jun was not happy.
He had already secured his quota for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Normally, he should have returned to the sect to wait for the pill to be refined, then taken it and gone into closed-door cultivation.
But the war flared up again.
The sect ordered him to stay and assist the Great Sheng Emperor.
Deep down, Wang Jun didn't want to be Chen Sanshi's enemy, because…
He was afraid.
Truly afraid.
If Chen Sanshi didn't die this time, he might even chase him into the cultivation world to kill him.
Wang Jun didn't like fighting.
He only wanted longevity.
But with no backing, if he wanted resources, the only choice was to sell his life for the sect.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he entered the command tent.
Inside the tent.
This time, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Jiang Yuanbo, was holding a secret letter, his expression heavy.
"Grand Commander?"
Wu Jingsheng sensed something was wrong and asked, "Did something happen?"
"Hongdu Prefecture…"
Jiang Yuanbo suddenly stood up. As he walked outside, he said, "Chen Sanshi's strength keeps rising. Twenty days ago, he crushed the Pacification Army. Now the Ninth Prince and the others have abandoned their troops and are retreating here on their own."
"W-what?!"
Wu Jingsheng said in disbelief, "Hongdu Prefecture only had a little over six thousand people left, and they'd been cut off from food for ages. Not starving to death is one thing, but how did they rout two hundred thousand troops?!
"Could it be…
"In just a few months, even the Ninth Prince and the others joining forces are no longer Chen Sanshi's match?!"
Wang Jun's face darkened.
In his mind, he was already thinking about how to find a suitable excuse to report back to the sect and leave this place as soon as possible.
He didn't think the White Robe was guaranteed to win, but he absolutely didn't want to take any risks.
All he wanted was to return to the sect and begin Foundation Establishment.
"That's not quite it."
Jiang Yuanbo stepped outside the main tent.
Not long after,
a flying boat appeared in the night sky.
It was clearly the Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, and the others arriving.
"Greetings, Ninth Prince!"
Jiang Yuanbo saluted first, then said, "Your Highness need not worry too much. Victory and defeat are common matters in warfare. Losing two hundred thousand troops is just that—lost. Now that Your Highness and the others have arrived, it essentially confirms Chen Sanshi's death. The defenders in Qiantang Prefecture will surely open the gates and surrender in the coming days!"
"Victory and defeat are common?!"
The Prince of Zhen'nan felt deeply ashamed.
"If it were two hundred thousand against one hundred thousand, or even fifty thousand, losing would still be understandable. But the other side only had seven thousand people!"
"Quick!"
Dao Xuan the Loose Cultivator said urgently, "Prepare to attack the city! Also, be ready to deploy the formation at any moment! Once the Eight-Gate Golden Lock Immortal-Trapping Formation is set up, even if Chen Sanshi kills his way here, he'll only have one path—death!"
The previous collapse at Sparrow Mouse Valley
was mainly because the troops under them had been starving for too long.
They had no fighting will at all, and the moment battle started, they crumbled.
But the troops outside Qiantang Prefecture were different.
"Notify the entire army. Prepare to continue the siege!"
"Rumble—!"
Stars shifted, day and night turned.
After dawn, the battle erupted again.
Countless heavy siege weapons slammed into the city walls.
Wei Xuan, as always, stood alone blocking ten thousand foes.
Ever since rediscovering the meaning of cultivation, it was as if the knots in his heart had unraveled.
Even his aged body seemed to show signs of a final resurgence.
"I may be old, but my blade is still sharp!"
The massive blade in his hands swept like ink across paper.
With one slash, a string of heads flew, blood spraying like fountains.
Blood and ink merged, forming a murderous painting.
The court army was vast.
But cultivators could only enter the Divine Continent in limited numbers at fixed intervals.
There weren't many.
Only three Qi Refining Perfection cultivators in total.
Two had already been killed by the husband-and-wife duo.
If they could kill one more, they might seize the chance to break out before more cultivators arrived.
Just as Wei Xuan lifted his blade, pondering how to behead the enemy general,
rolling killing intent suddenly descended from above.
He immediately swung his blade upward, colliding with a broad, edgeless saber.
It was none other than the Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong.
"Your true force is quite strange!"
As Wei Xuan struggled against him,
another refined, immortal-like young man appeared in midair.
With a raised hand, surging true force transformed into rushing water.
Song Guizhi reacted in time.
Her jade-green staff flared with light, forcibly splitting the torrent in half.
"Cao Rong?!"
Not far away, after cutting down the enemy before him, Wang Zhi recognized the newly arrived general.
These two…
Weren't they supposed to be at Hongdu Prefecture?
How did they arrive here unharmed?
Could it be…
"Isn't it obvious?!"
Ling Yun saw through their thoughts. "Chen Sanshi's head is already in your hands. How could it be fake!"
"Brothers, avenge the Grand Commander!"
Wang Zhi roared.
He raised his long saber high, channeling true qi into the form of a Black Tortoise, pressing down on the enemy.
Li He appeared without a sound.
A flying sword struck.
Wang Zhi had no choice but to turn his blade to defend.
At the moment of impact, he was sent flying back like a kite with its string cut, slamming into the wall before stopping.
The flying sword gave him no chance to breathe, immediately following to go for a killing strike.
There were no cultivators inside Qiantang Prefecture.
But there were many Martial Saints.
Over the past half year of campaigning, Cheng Wei and the others had used the True Martial Pills left behind by their junior brother to break through to the Martial Saint realm.
That was why they had been able to win battle after battle.
At this moment, Deng Feng and the others—five Martial Saints in total—joined forces to rescue him.
Only then did they barely block the flying sword.
With Wang Zhi back on his feet, six Martial Saints surrounded Li He.
Even so, they still struggled to hold on.
In the end, it was Song Guizhi, using her exquisite staff techniques, who forced Ling Yun back.
She then carried surging gang wind and charged at Li He.
Only then did they barely stabilize the situation.
Even so, after just over ten exchanges, they were all heavily injured.
"Ah—!"
Wei Xuan roared.
The Ink Breathing Method erupted to its limit.
His aged body swelled several times over.
Hair and beard stood on end, eyes blood-red.
His attacks grew even fiercer.
He burned his own body to strengthen his true force, finally matching the Prince of Zhen'nan.
Metal, wood, water, fire, earth.
The Five-Element Breathing Methods were fundamental.
But that didn't mean there were only those five.
Wind, thunder, ice, and countless other breathing methods existed.
Just like how, beyond the five-element spiritual roots, cultivators could possess variant roots.
For a time,
the generals inside Qiantang Prefecture were all locked in desperate, life-and-death combat.
And right then,
a massive boom suddenly rang out from the heavens.
Someone was calling for help!
Li He and the others knew the White Robe was not dead.
They absolutely couldn't allow their side's combat power to be reduced.
They immediately disengaged and flew toward the sky.
Cao Rong and Ling Yun also used talismans, unfurling wings behind them.
The three of them reached midair and saw two Guiyuan Sect cultivators who had been supporting the Prince of Jin and the others in Jade Land Prefecture.
"Daoist friends!"
"Since you're here, don't even think about leaving!"
With those words,
they charged forward together.
After seven to eight exchanges of spell combat, the two cultivators who had come as reinforcements met very different fates. One was killed on the spot. The other unleashed every escape art he had and fled far away, disappearing in moments.
"Cough, cough…"
After repeatedly using the Bloodlight Curse, and also taking a desperate strike from the dying cultivator, Li He suffered light injuries. He coughed and cursed, "The Guiyuan Sect has risen too fast these past years. They're really going too far!"
"It seems we still need to be careful."
Dao Xuan the Loose Cultivator, who had been setting up formations on the ground and hadn't joined the fight earlier, stepped on his flying boat and rose into the air. He warned, "Before I came, I heard that the Guiyuan Sect obtained some kind of treasure that can shield heavenly secrets. I don't know whether they'll use it in this ancestral vein struggle."
"Then we can't delay any longer. We must take Qiantang Prefecture as soon as possible!"
Li He looked at the late-arriving Wang Jun and said, "Daoist Wang Jun, your timing is perfect. Let's each take one direction and do another sweep. Check whether there are still Guiyuan Sect cultivators lurking nearby, to prevent sneak attacks.
"Then we'll swarm in together and kill those two troublesome True Force martial artists first!
"Be quick!
"That Chen brat could arrive at any moment!"
As he spoke, he took out several pills and stuffed them into his mouth. He then sat cross-legged in midair to tend to his injuries.
"Alright."
Wang Jun nodded in agreement. He formed hand seals and controlled his sword, cautiously patrolling within a radius of several dozen li.
When he reached about fifty li out, he vaguely saw dark figures moving along a small forest path below. He lowered his altitude slightly and saw a man riding hard on horseback.
And…
White robe. White horse.
"Damn it!"
In an instant, Wang Jun felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately turned around, intending to rush back and report this news to the others. But after a second thought, he stopped.
After thinking it over carefully,
he formed hand seals and recited an incantation, condensing a Sword Qi Technique in front of him. He then deliberately pierced it through a vital area of his own body. The pain twisted his features, his face turning deathly pale. After that, he slashed several times at the air, creating loud sounds.
Only after doing all this did Wang Jun return to the previous area.
"Daoist Wang Jun?"
Li He abruptly looked up when he heard the commotion. He saw Wang Jun flying back, badly injured and swaying, as if he might fall at any moment. "What happened?!"
"Guiyuan Sect disciple! Cough, cough…"
Wang Jun said weakly, "But don't worry. I've already driven him off, and he was badly injured too. He shouldn't be coming back."
The others rushed over upon hearing this and finally relaxed a little.
"That's good!"
"Just…"
Wang Jun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "My injuries are heavy. I probably can't even exert the strength of the middle stage of Qi Refining anymore. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you further."
"Ah."
Dao Xuan the Loose Cultivator stroked his beard and sighed. "Junior Brother Wang Jun, since that's the case, you should return to the sect and report. While you're at it, see if you can help me apply for more spirit stones. Activating the formation even once consumes an enormous amount!"
"Alright, Senior Brother Dao Xuan. I'll do my best."
Wang Jun clasped his fists. After swallowing several more pills, he staggered off in the opposite direction and soon vanished.
As he moved through the clouds, he glanced back at the ever-more-distant Qiantang Prefecture. The taut string in his heart finally relaxed.
The White Robe had arrived.
Whether they won or lost next had nothing to do with him.
All he wanted was to hurry back, heal his injuries, and then go into closed-door cultivation to establish his foundation.
"Pfft—"
Qiantang Prefecture.
After Cao Rong and the others withdrew one after another, Wei Xuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Old Wei!"
Song Guizhi rushed forward to support him, fumbling in her robes for pills.
Wang Zhi and the other Martial Saints had all suffered injuries as well, light or heavy.
And this had been in less than ten exchanges!
Moreover, Wang Jun hadn't really joined the fight, and Dao Xuan the Loose Cultivator was still arranging the military formation.
Once they finished preparations and attacked again, it would likely be the fall of the city and the death of everyone inside.
The Northern Liang soldiers within the city had all seen this scene.
Now,
the Grand Commander's life or death was unknown.
All the generals were injured.
Food supplies inside the city could not be replenished. They could only sit and wait to run out.
Outside the city were three hundred thousand troops, sealing everything off completely.
It felt like the final moment had arrived.
The execution day of Northern Liang.
"Boom boom boom boom boom—"
At the same time,
outside the city, murderous war drums thundered once more, pounding relentlessly against the already lifeless hearts of the soldiers.
"Brothers!"
Wang Zhi climbed onto the city wall. The long saber he held high reflected golden light under the blazing sun. His voice drowned out the enemy's war drums, ringing with fierce passion:
"To tell you the truth!
"Is the Grand Commander dead or not?!
"We don't know either!
"He did lose contact with us not long ago!
"But the predecessor of the Northern Liang Army was the Eight Great Camps!
"When did the Eight Great Camps ever become such cowards?!
"Let alone the fact that the Grand Commander may not actually be dead!
"Even if he truly is, are you going to open the gates and surrender?!
"Do you know what you'd be doing then? Becoming traitors?!
"No! The Northern Liang Army is fighting to seize the world, fighting for the Northern Liang people, for your fathers and mothers, for your families!
"As long as we endure today, the Central Plains will be ours!
"I'm not asking you to die in battle!
"But at the very least, wait until we leaders are dead before you go out and surrender, alright?!
"If you can't even do that, then you're not worthy to be soldiers of the Eight Great Camps, and even less worthy to be the Grand Commander's soldiers. Take off your armor, drop your weapons, and crawl out the side gate to go home now!
"All the taxes, grain, and military pay that the Northern Liang people have given over these years—consider it all fed to dogs!
"Go back and plant spiritual grain in the fields with your old men! Wait for the next time the court refines pills, and another 'ten days of Liangzhou' comes, turning your entire families into great medicine!"
His words left the Northern Liang soldiers speechless.
Only now did they truly realize why they were fighting this battle.
Was it really just because the White Robe raised his arm and they followed?
The White Robe was only the spark.
He ignited their anger toward the court!
Spiritual grain didn't even need to be mentioned.
After the truth of the Yunzhou Ten Days and the Battle of Guandu came to light, which border soldier wasn't chilled to the bone, which one wasn't furious?
It was just that no one resisted.
Or rather, no one dared.
It was the Grand Commander.
It was the Grand Commander who stood up.
To demand an explanation from the court.
To demand justice.
This battle had always been for themselves!
"General Tang!"
An old general of the Eight Great Camps, nearly sixty years old, shouted, "I was a veteran of the White Tiger Camp twenty-five years ago! I once followed Young Master Sun Buhui! I still remember what happened back then!
"I've held it in for so many years!
"The old Grand Commander is gone!
"It wasn't easy for the young Grand Commander to finally lead us to take revenge. How could we possibly be afraid of death?!"
"I was from the Azure Dragon Camp!"
"I was from the Vermilion Bird Camp!"
The old veterans of the Eight Great Camps were the first to be stirred.
The Eight Great Camps had gone through expansions and several rounds of reshuffling, but those changes usually targeted Thousand-Commanders and above. The formation grunts were never replaced. They had always remained within the Northern Liang Army.
At this very moment,
in a desperate situation,
they became the most crucial backbone.
Driven by them, the bloodlust of the other Northern Liang soldiers was also ignited.
"We're not cowards!"
"General Tang is right! We're following the Grand Commander to build merit and achieve greatness!"
"If we're building merit and achieving greatness, how can we just let the Grand Commander risk his life while we sit behind and pick the fruit?!"
"Brothers!"
"Let's damn well fight them to the end!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
At this instant,
if the White Robe were here, he would see that above the heads of more than ninety percent of the soldiers in the city, the Blood Oath of the Battlefield was hovering.
"Climb the walls!"
"Kill the enemy!!!"
Twenty li away.
On a hillside.
Chen Sanshi handed over all matters regarding prisoners and supplies to the others. He himself led a small unit, traveling day and night, and finally arrived in time. Looking at the black mass of court troops on the distant plain, he knew his judgment had been correct.
The court intended to concentrate its forces to wipe out the Northern Liang Army and turn him into a lone commander.
Fortunately, he made it in time!
To save time,
he had long since left the rest of his subordinates far behind.
Qianxun was extremely fast.
On flat ground, it was even faster than ordinary cultivators flying with swords.
Covered in dust from the journey,
Qianxun, once a pristine white horse, had turned gray and grimy, looking completely different from before.
"Boom boom boom!"
Earth-shaking war drums thundered.
The fierce siege battle erupted in full.
From far away, Chen Sanshi saw the court troops surge toward the city walls like thick black liquid. After sticking to the wall's surface, they kept climbing upward, like endlessly spreading vines.
The Northern Liang soldiers swung their weapons, desperately clearing away the vines. From time to time, someone would be swallowed by the black tide, only for another to rush forward to fill the gap.
In the air,
several cultivators stood suspended, ready to strike at any moment and blast the defending generals off the walls.
"Good Qianxun."
Chen Sanshi stroked the horse's mane and looked at the black ocean ahead. "Looks like I'll have to trouble you to go with me one more time."
As he spoke, several yellow talismans appeared in his hand.
They turned into streaks of light and attached themselves to the White Swan horse and to him.
Giant Strength Talisman. Swift Speed Talisman!
A flash of spiritual light.
A pitch-black, flowing talisman armor enveloped Chen Sanshi. In his hand appeared a three-pointed, double-edged blade.
Fire element!
"Boom—"
Flames burst from the pupils beneath Chen Sanshi's mask. The three-pointed, double-edged blade transformed into three blazing fire flood dragons. The White Swan horse beneath him shone with spiritual light. After rearing up and neighing toward the sky, it turned into a streak and vanished into the mountains.
One man and one horse charged straight toward the two hundred thousand-strong army!
Qiantang Prefecture.
Blades clashed.
Blood danced wildly!
"Kill!"
"Kill!!!"
Not a single Northern Liang soldier retreated. No one spoke of surrender. It was a fight to the death.
Even though they knew full well that today, they would most likely die on the city walls…
"Brother Cao, Brother Ling, the three of us go first. Daoist Dao Xuan, you stay in the rear and keep watch. Prevent Guiyuan Sect cultivators from coming back."
After Li He finished speaking, he flew shoulder to shoulder with the other two toward the city wall.
"Ah!!!"
Wei Xuan roared and entered an overload state once more. Together with Song Guizhi, he held the front. The Martial Saints locked onto Ling Yun, the comparatively weaker martial cultivator among the enemy, and once again fell into a brutal stalemate.
With these main commanders pinned down, no one could stop Jiang Yuanbo and the others from leading the court army up the walls. Northern Liang casualties began to increase exponentially. The fall of the city and total annihilation were right in front of them.
But right at this moment!
Outside the battlefield that stretched for dozens of li, a lone rider appeared. While everyone was distracted, he charged in from the flank toward the enemy formation at an unbelievable speed!
"Who goes there?!"
At the edge of the battlefield, Deputy General Wu Jingsheng, who was responsible for holding the line, shouted harshly.
The incoming general wielded a three-pointed, double-edged blade, wore talisman-empowered black armor, and had a ferocious mask on his face. He did not answer. When he was still dozens of zhang from the army, he suddenly leapt into the air, rising several zhang high. Then flames erupted from his entire body like a volcano as he smashed down!
"Boom—rumble!"
Scorching flames twisted the air and exploded into a sea of fire on the ground. In an instant, dozens of enemy soldiers were burned to charcoal. The weapon in that enemy general's hand turned into three flood dragons, sweeping aside everything in front of them with unstoppable force and charging straight toward the city gate.
Wu Jingsheng was terrified and tried to turn back to report, but the three flood dragons were already in front of him. He only felt a wave of heat crash over his body, and then he lost consciousness.
The chaotic battle continued.
As the saying goes, 'with ten thousand men, the view is boundless; with one hundred thousand, they connect heaven and earth.' At this moment, outside Qiantang Prefecture there were a full three hundred thousand troops, already stretching across the land as far as the eye could see.
Amidst ten thousand soldiers, the black-armored enemy general moved as if in an empty field!
Slaughtering one hundred!
Slaughtering one thousand!
Three thousand!
Only at this moment did Dao Xuan Sanren, who was holding the line several li away, sense that something was wrong. His pupils shrank violently. He cursed inwardly and waved both hands. A formation disk was thrown out as he shouted loudly.
"Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortals Formation!"
"Form up!"
"Rumble—!"
Streams of spiritual light spilled out from the formation disk.
Immediately after,
countless formation flags flew out from Dao Xuan Sanren's storage bag. Dense and packed like birds migrating south, they nearly covered the sky. Streams of spiritual power poured from the formation disk into the flags.
The innumerable formation flags shone brilliantly. Like falling meteors, they landed within the army formation. The court troops in the rear, who were waiting to rotate into the assault and also serve as the suppressing force, had long been prepared and instantly spread into formation.
The Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortals Formation—complete!
At this moment,
everything within a radius of dozens of li transformed into a Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams layout. The court army became the positions. They became fortune and calamity. Dao Xuan Sanren, as the formation core, became the one who manipulated this stretch of heaven and earth.
Under his control, wave after wave of court troops gathered toward Chen Sanshi. They pulled at the power of heaven and earth, producing a golden spiritual glow.
The glow swept toward the black-armored general like mist.
Trapping Immortal Golden Light!
This was what made this grand formation different!
Most formations only used celestial phenomena to boost army combat strength. But once activated, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortals Formation could use suppressive golden light to restrain enemy generals!
"Quick!"
"Brother Cao, Daoist Li, Daoist Ling Yun! Stop him!"
While forming the array,
Dao Xuan Sanren did not forget to warn his companions. Chen Sanshi absolutely could not be allowed to reach the city gate.
Because he suddenly remembered something…
Up to this point,
Chen Sanshi still had not used the Heavenly Book formation!
He was risking being restricted by the Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortals Formation just to charge into the array and reach the city gate. He had to have a purpose!
Cao Rong and the others, who had already gained a massive advantage within just three to five exchanges and were about to easily kill Wei Xuan and the rest, also noticed the situation in the distance. Their hearts sank. They no longer cared about these people and immediately turned back, charging into the formation to surround and kill the black-armored general.
"Wh-what's going on?!"
The sudden change stunned the entire battlefield.
Wei Xuan planted his giant blade into the ground.
The others, including Wang Zhi, were all badly injured.
They were no match for Cao Rong and the rest. At most, two or three more exchanges and they would have collapsed and died. Why would the enemy give up at such a critical moment?!
"Look!"
Song Guizhi pointed into the distance. "It looks like someone is… chiseling through the formation!"
Chiseling the formation!
Only then did they see it.
Within the vast court army, there was a single rider. Like a massive rock standing firm in a great river, he split the black tide around him. He was also like a sharp blade splitting bamboo, unstoppable.
Black armor. Blood-soaked horse. A three-pointed, double-edged blade in hand.
He fought amid the sand and dust filling the formation. No one could see clearly. They only knew that with every breath, the general advanced one step closer to the city gate.
Cao Rong, Li He, and the others arrived one after another, finally slowing his advance.
"Stop him!"
Li He and the others used every method they had. "In the Eight Gates Golden Lock Trapping Immortals Formation, do you really think you're still our match?!"
With the golden light supporting them,
every move they made could weaken the opponent's True Force.
Although the opponent had some special physique that grew stronger the longer the battle lasted, under this ebb and flow, it was effectively nullified!
Cao Rong and the others firmly suppressed the black armor.
"You—are you willing to die?!"
Suddenly!
Chen Sanshi abandoned defense. The flames on his three-pointed, double-edged blade abruptly turned crimson red as he prepared to trade injuries with Cao Rong.
"Why wouldn't I be?!"
Cao Rong showed no fear and was about to exchange blows.
"Don't fall for it!"
Li He sensed something wrong. At the last moment, he grabbed the Prince of Zhen'nan and pulled him away.
"This fire isn't from the Five Elements. Its intensity is even higher than ordinary earth-vein fire!"
"If you trade with him, he'll only be injured. You'll most likely die!"
However,
that brief delay was enough for Chen Sanshi to break free.
No one remained in front of him anymore.
The three-pointed, double-edged blade burning with strange fire destroyed everything. Weapons, armor, shields—all melted apart. Enemy after enemy turned to ash.
In the process,
he no longer knew how many people he had killed. He only knew that at some moment, the space ahead suddenly emptied. There was nothing left to block his path.
Only a gigantic beast-like city stood before him.
Above the city gate hung three large characters.
Qiantang Prefecture!
Wei Xuan, Song Guizhi, Wang Zhi, and all the Northern Liang soldiers fell into deathly silence.
Under the gaze of hundreds of thousands,
the black-armored general threw aside the burned-out three-pointed, double-edged blade. He slowly raised his hand and removed the mask beneath his helmet.
A face they all knew.
A face they revered.
A face like a god.
"Brothers!"
"I've come—"
"to take you home!"